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How To Hack Your Next Cover Letter

Who doesn’t dread having to write a cover letter? Firstly, no one likes talking about themselves. Secondly, it’s hard to know what the rules are. How long should it be? What should it say? Help!

Don’t stress, we’ve got your back. Here are a few simple ways to making writing a cover letter suck less.

If you get bored writing it, your prospective employer is going to get bored reading it.

Chances are you’ve put off doing this for as long as possible, because you know how painful it’s going to be. Never fear, there is an antidote to this. Ready for it?

Be a little creative.

I know, it sounds bogus. But seriously, chances are good that the person hiring you has had to read at least 10 other cover letters from 10 other people applying for the same job. Don’t get lost in the crowd. Add some personality to your cover letter by telling the story of how your heard about the job, or why you want to work for them. Play around with format and tone. Have a little fun with it!

Pretend you’re someone else.

Yes, really. No one likes to brag about themselves, so pretending you’re someone else writing about you can really help you write something positive without feeling big-headed. You could even try writing in the third person – i.e. “Jordi has lots of experience writing and editing…” – if that makes it less weird. Just make sure you go back and edit it later.

Keep it brief. Don’t over-think it.

Everything your potential future employer needs to know is in your CV, so you don’t need to ramble on for pages about your extensive experience in customer service . A couple of good size paragraphs is more than enough to introduce yourself, talk about why you’re perfect for the job and demonstrate your killer personality. If it takes longer than an hour to write, you’re just torturing yourself. Smash it out and send it out.

If you follow this simple guide, you should be on your way to a pain-free (and pretty efficient) cover writing experience! Think of us when you land your dream job.

Read our privacy policy and privacy collection statement. Your details will be added to our mailing lists. Our mailing lists are maintained in locations outside Australia. The entities receiving your information from us in those countries may not be bound by Australian Privacy Laws